NFL Picks Week 5: Three Teams That Must Establish the Run to Win This Weekend

We have seen many more teams around the NFL looking to attack opposing defenses with aerial assaults than ever before.

It seems that the pass-heavy attack has taken over. Defense and running the ball is a thing of the past.

That seems to be the thought process by many coaches around the league, at least. I'm not convinced that it holds true.

Establishing the run is an important part of winning. Very few teams have the ability to win by throwing the ball 75 percent of the time.

Here are three teams that need to stop throwing the ball and establish a run game if they want to win this weekend.

Atlanta Falcons

Watching the Atlanta Falcons this season has made me want to smash my face into a wall. Call me old school, but when you have a talented running back you should give him the ball.

Head coach Mike Smith wants to transform this team into a pass first offense, but that's just not their identity. It's why they are sitting at 2-2.

The Falcons are passing the ball 65 percent of the time this year.

In their two losses Michael Turner ran the ball 10 times and 11 times.

In their two wins Michael Turner ran the ball 21 times and 26 times.

It seems to me like running the ball is the key to winning in Atlanta. They need to slow the game down this weekend if they want to challenge Green Bay.

Keeping Rodgers and the Packers offense off the field is the key to pulling off the upset.

Carolina Panthers

I'm not sure what Ron Rivera and Rob Chudzinski are thinking.

It's obvious that the Panthers have a very talented quarterback in Cam Newton. Nobody really expected him to step up and produce the way he has through the first four weeks of the season.

That said, you can't expect a rookie quarterback to carry the team and win the game alone.

The Panthers have thrown the ball 63 percent of the time on offense. That may not sound terrible, but many of the runs have been by Cam Newton.

Excluding Newton's runs, the Panthers have thrown the ball 74 percent of the time.

That's a little bit too much pressure on a rookie quarterback.

The Panthers have DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. Hand them the ball to help this kid out.

Cam Newton has put up shocking statistics so far, but if the coaching staff expect him to out throw Drew Brees this weekend then somebody needs to check the water in Charlotte.

Much like the Falcons need to, the Panthers need to run the ball and keep Drew Brees off the field as much as possible.

Philadelphia Eagles

If the Philadelphia Eagles want to turn around a disastrous start to the season, they need to put the ball in the hands of their best offensive player.

That's not Michael Vick. It's not DeSean Jackson. It's not Jeremy Maclin.

It's running back LeSean McCoy.

Despite Andy Reid's inability to call run plays, McCoy is still the fifth leading rusher in the NFL.

Do you want Michael Vick to stop taking unnecessary shots? Want the defense to stop getting gashed for long runs? Do you want to stop blowing fourth quarter leads?

Maybe running the ball won't solve those problems, but it will help.

Andy Reid is one of the best coaches in the league. He knows how to put together one of the most talented rosters in the NFL.

What Philly fans have been complaining about for years, is that he doesn't know how to use that talent.

If the Eagles are going to turn this season around this weekend in Buffalo, McCoy needs to see the ball more often.